Editor Dennis Rubinshteyn and I met with Topware Interactive at E3 to take a quick look at the upcoming expansion pack to Two Worlds II. The pack, entitled Pirates of the Flying Fortress, includes 10 hours of single-player content spanning a world map that has increased in size by 25%. Four new multiplayer maps have been added as well. The new story content is voiced by an all-new cast, whose character models sport brand-new facial animations. As they explore, players can discover tomes across the world of Antaloor that expand upon its history, lore, and myths.

In creating this expansion pack, Reality Pump Studios listened closely to fan feedback as they refined the game. The graphics have been improved, and small changes like the addition of a map marker for the player's boat show the developers' attention to detail. As expected, there are also new NPCs and quests, which lead to customizable weapons, armor, and other loot. Players will find that their noble steeds have received some tweaking, too, as the horse-riding mechanics have been improved and their armor now takes dynamic damage in combat. The magic system, which currently holds the Guinness World Record for the most advanced spell creation system in a video game, makes its return as well, featuring 993,654 unique combinations.

Players can purchase the expansion by itself for $29.99 USD (PC/Mac), or get the complete saga by purchasing the Game of the Year Velvet Edition for $49.99 USD (PC/Mac) or $69.99 USD (360/PS3). Inside the Velvet Edition is the game disc, a world map, a bonus disc that includes an extended soundtrack, and a collectable "Pirate Head" pin, all packaged inside an actual velvet box with antique metal-plated corners. Two Worlds II: Pirates of the Flying Fortress is scheduled to release in October 2011 in North America. For a quick look at the expansion, check out our small gallery below.